Assessment of psychological state in patients with acne

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is a cutaneous chronic inflammatory disorder with complex pathogenesis. It is characterized by the development of seborrhea, comedones, papules, pustules ,nodules and cyst. Acne has been suggested to have many psychological effects, such as low self-esteem, low self-confidence, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation. The aim of this work is to assess psychological state in patients with acne. Methods: This was case/control study which was carried out at Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, in collaboration with psychiatry Department at Benha University Hospitals. Fourty participants were included in this study. They were divided in to two groups. The first group included 30 acne patients and the second group included 10 age and sex matched healthy acne free volunteers serving as controls. Results: There was significant difference in severity of depression according to Beck scale score between acne patients and control. Conclusion: There is a significant positive correlation between Beck scale score and severity of acne.